Furman Middle

Furman Middle in Sumter, SC, serves approximately 700 students in grades 6-8 and is part of the Sumter 01 district, which ranks in the bottom tier of districts statewide.

Furman Middle faces significant challenges, most notably a severe chronic absenteeism problem. In the 2024-2025 school year, 44.6% of students were chronically absent—double the state average of 22.3%. This is likely a major factor in the school's low academic performance, particularly in mathematics, where only 5.7% of 8th graders were proficient on state assessments in 2024-2025, compared to 32.4% statewide. However, there is a remarkable bright spot: Furman's Algebra 1 students consistently score far above district and state averages on end-of-course exams, with 92.59% proficient in 2023-2024. This suggests the school has pockets of excellence that could potentially be expanded. The school also struggles to serve its Gifted and Talented students, who rank in the 9th percentile statewide, and has seen a sharp decline in outcomes for disabled students over the past two years.

Comparing Furman to nearby Alice Drive Middle, just 8.5 miles away in the same district, reveals what's possible. Alice Drive ranks in the 37th percentile statewide, significantly outperforms Furman in 8th grade math (35.7% vs. 24% proficiency), and has a lower chronic absenteeism rate (34.5%). Both schools serve similar demographics, showing that Furman's challenges are not insurmountable. While Furman spends about $12,528 per student—comparable to Alice Drive—the key difference appears to be attendance. Addressing the absenteeism crisis must be the school's top priority, as even the best instruction cannot help students who aren't in class. With focused interventions on attendance and math instruction, Furman has the potential to improve, as demonstrated by its recent gains from the 12th to 15th percentile statewide.